How did involvement in The Duke of Ed help you?
Involvement in The Duke of Ed helped me apply the skills I had and further develop skills in the areas that I naturally enjoy. It also helped me to push myself and take initiative in seeking skills I didn’t have in order to pursue areas which I knew would benefit me in my career and also life in general.
There was also a sense of satisfaction in undergoing such an Award – you feel you’re doing something meaningful and useful with your life. Some of the activities I was involved in during The Award were things I did regularly and which I enjoyed, except now I was being recognised for it – that these activities were something to be proud of. This helps to boost confidence in doing those things which we love and are passionate about. It also helped me to see the value of community awareness and involvement.
Would you recommend The Duke of Ed to other young people who are working or their employers as a work place program?
Certainly. There really doesn’t seem to be any negative aspects of doing The Award, only positive ones. It helps give young people direction, a sense of purpose and something to aim for. This is precisely what many young people lack. There is also the added benefit of recognition at the end, that sense of achievement, which helps to boost your confidence and esteem in life – something which I personally found helped me in that it motivated me to pursue further awards later on down the track.
Any other comments?
I am just really quite thankful to AIG and their connection with The Duke of Ed for giving me such an easy and accessible opportunity to get involved in The Award. I appreciate the fact that someone from The Duke of Ed program took the time to come to my workplace and explain the benefits of The Award. This, in short is ultimately why I ended up getting to shake the hand of the Governor of South Australia in his house.
